New State Law Requires Agencies To Pay Attorney Fees For Many Denied FOIL Requests
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Valerie Gordon on Jan 31, 2018
School districts and government entities will have to pay reasonable attorney’s fees and other litigation costs when Freedom of Information Law, or FOIL, requests are unreasonably denied, under a new... more
William Campos Lopez, 26, of Speonk was arrested on December 8, at 3:40 a.m., by Quogue Village Police charged him with aggravated DWI, a misdemeanor. He was pulled over after being observed speeding and failing to maintain his lane on Montauk Highway, police said. A subsequent investigation revealed he was intoxicated, with a breath test revealing a blood alcohol level of .18, according to police. He was held for morning arraignment and then released. Francisco Chiroyej-Calon, 28, of Riverhead was arrested shortly after 7 p.m. on December 7 and charged with misdemeanor DWI after he was pulled over on Springville ...
by Staff Writer
WESTHAMPTON BEACH — On December 4, a person reported receiving a suspicious postcard at the Westhampton Beach Post Office. The person stated to Westhampton Beach Village Police that the postcard had disturbing and false information regarding a finch bird. Officers informed the person that they had seen similar postcards distributed in an online format. WESTHAMPTON BEACH — On December 5 at 10:59 a.m., Village Police conducted a traffic stop of a Honda Accord traveling north on Old Riverhead Road and impounded the car because the driver did not have a license. The driver was charged with second degree aggravated unlicensed ...
by Staff Writer
As Southampton Town considers aggressive action on sand mines, with plans to use amortization — a tool last used effectively to rid the town of nightclubs and bars the town considered nuisances — to finally end the practice, it’s important to cut through the rhetoric and state some facts. Sand mines serve a clear purpose and have economic value in a region where construction is a primary driver. But the town quite simply does not allow sand mining — that decision was made years ago, and what mines exist today are preexisting and nonconforming. Amortizing the properties is the last ...
11 Dec 2024 by Editorial Board
Talk is not a solution, but solutions won’t be found without a great deal of interplay between the officials making the decisions and the public that will be affected by them. So The Express Sessions event last week in Sag Harbor, which focused on the village’s parking woes, was, along with future public hearings before the Village Board, necessary for there to be any traction on the subject. In fact, one clear message at Thursday’s session, delivered by those in attendance: Communication is absolutely crucial. And it has been one area where the village can improve. Restaurateur Jesse Matsuoka, who ...
by Editorial Board
It’s not every day that an opportunity comes along to buy a castle. But that’s exactly where Southampton Town officials found themselves this week. Using $4 million in proceeds from the Community Preservation Fund, the Town Board agreed to buy the Casa Basso property in Westhampton — which contains a restaurant and a 120-year-old diminutive reproduction of a Spanish castle. The town plans to create a waterfront park on the newly preserved property. And not only did the town buy a castle, in a separate transaction it also agreed to buy 25 acres in East Quogue — 10 acres of ...
by Editorial Board
New legislation introduced by State Senator Monica Martinez will soon give paid first responders in Suffolk County the option to retire after 25 years of service, an enticement that could help address staffing shortages and boost recruitment of paid EMS workers. Service districts will be able to elect to include certain EMS personnel in the state pension plan. Originally approved in 2023, the plan was able to move forward thanks to a companion bill outlining a clear mechanism for fire districts to opt in. Governor Kathy Hochul’s signing of the new measure now establishes that process. “Serving your community as ...
by Cailin Riley
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Valerie Gordon on Jan 31, 2018